Wickliffe bocce tournament draws 110 teams, 12,000 people (video)

bocceA member of the team Palazzo 777 from Concord, Ontario, Canada, competes Sunday in an annual bocce tournament at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

WICKLIFFE, Ohio -- An estimated 12,000 people descended on the grounds of the Wickliffe Italian-American Club over the weekend for the club's annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce.

The tournament drew 96 men's teams and 14 women's teams from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Florida and Canada. Along with play that continued past midnight Friday and Saturday, the event featured live entertainment and Italian food.

The tournament, in its 30th year, was originally conducted in Mayfield. In 1991, the tournament moved to the Wickliffe club, which has nine outdoor sheltered courts made of finely crushed limestone.

Teams competed for $18,000 in prize money. Palazzo 777 from Concord, Ontario, Canada, won the men's division and the Wickliffe Knockouts won the women's division.

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